Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines: Just Asking Edition

Can anyone tell us why Mayor Adams decided to defend the Pope for using a gay smear? Plus other news.

Mayor Adams hosted a Jewish heritage night on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, he defended the Pope’s use of a gay smear.

|Photo: Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office

It's a bit off topic for us, but can anyone tell us why Mayor Adams decided to defend the Pope for using a gay smear?

Like, what's to be gained by defending something so needlessly offensive? What constituency (beyond unrepentant homophobe Ruben Diaz Sr., perhaps?) is Hizzoner courting?

I mean, I can sit here and defend Jorge Lopez's glove-throwing tantrum yesterday at Citi Field — he was frustrated, and the Mets have been stinking up the National League for a month now — but I can't defend a New York City mayor who offers aid and comfort to a Pontiff using anti-gay hate speech.

Then again, what else should we expect from the man who said that new immigrants should be lifeguards because they must be good swimmers to have gotten here?

The Daily News had the story.

Moving on, here's the news:

  • The rumors were true and the denial was pretty transparent: NYC Transit President Richard Davey is headed to Beantown. We always found him personable and straightforward, so congrats to him if that's what he wants. (NYDN, The City)
  • Demetrius Crichlow, who currently heads the subways division of New York City Transit, will take over as interim president. (amNY)
  • What the car-loving New York Times calls "a life unencumbered by self-consciousness or regret" is just an asshole with a loud car who is terrorizing his neighbors.
  • Speaking of America's car dependency writ stupid, a driver with a suspended license called into his court hearing ... from behind the wheel of his moving car. (TMZ)
  • An anti-Semite chose a car as a weapon in Brooklyn. (NYDN, NY Post)
  • And another pedestrian was killed by a reckless driver in The Bronx. (NY Post)
  • Gothamist took a ride on a luxury bus to the Hamptons.
  • City Limits had a great open streets op-ed by Friends of Streetsblog Jackson Chabot, Elana Ehrenberg and Rebecca Macklis with the simplest of takeaways: "New Yorkers should be able to dance in the streets, sidewalks, and curbs if they want to.”
  • Here's the first really good argument to ban TikTok (or at least alert Mayor Adams that someone is dunking all over him):
  • Office? Schmoffice. Return to work rates are flagging. (Crain's)
  • Then again, who needs the office with these LIRR beach travel deals? (Crain's)
  • Thank God that Gwynn Hogan did the horseshoe crab mating story. That used to be my old beat at the Brooklyn Paper. (The City)
  • And, finally, what the hell? A person being photographed in Soho got more than she wanted for her modeling portfolio — but also captured a typical day in New York City, where there are roughly 250 reported crashes per day:

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Who Rides on the Sidewalk? To NYPD, Just Blacks and Hispanics

The NYPD has ramped up its enforcement against cyclists for squeezing pedestrians, but in a very suspect manner.

December 8, 2025

‘No Better Place’: Mamdani Must Pedestrianize Financial District

Residents of Lower Manhattan have been demanding pedestrianized streets for decades, but the city and Big Business keep thwarting them. Sounds like a job for Mayor Mamdani.

December 8, 2025

Monday’s Headlines: Congestion Pricing Edition

The New York Post has laid the bait for Gov. Hochul on congestion pricing, but will she take it? Plus more news.

December 8, 2025

Queens Judge Orders City to Rip Up Half-Installed Astoria Bike Lane

The unprecedented ruling flies in the face of reams of data demonstrating the safety benefits of protected bike lanes.

December 5, 2025

Unions and Environmental Groups Push Council To Pass Delivery Protection Act

Intro 1396 would force Amazon and other delivery companies that use last-mile warehouses to ditch the sub-contracting model and directly hire their workers.

December 5, 2025

Watchdog Group Wants Hochul to Veto Bus Lane Parking Mulligan

Reinvent Albany thinks a carve-out for bus lane parkers in Co-op gives rule-breaking motorists a free pass.

December 5, 2025
See all posts